Ask a Shiter

[Scruffy Bodger]

Where's the best place to get a refurbished or new Citroën ZX rear beam from?

 

You can get yours re-furbed if it's not too far gone. Finding a ZX one off the shelf will probably be very difficult now. Beams off other cars will fit but the Zx's are set up differently to 306's etc, they run zero toe in.

There's a chap on 306OC that does re-builds and uses decent stuff, can't remember his name off hand though sorry.

[The Moog]

Place in Burnley does them. I got them to replace a 405 one. The choice was free postage or free fitting. I elected for the latter and they cursed me as every bolt was rusted through.

 

I can't find details at moment but will have a look to see if I can.

[M'coli]

It'll have to be free postage, I'm not hooning overt' Pennines in a car with no MOT and no rear suspension movement!

 

I don't have the time, space, nor facilities to re-furbish it myself, so a replacement it is. Time is of the essence - the 106's MOT is up on the 4th of September and there's no guarantee that it will pass, mainly because of the rear beam, corrosion, and the oil leak between the block and the head at the timing belt end.

[steveo3002]

mk1 focus...do the brakes blled like normal with easy bleed etc ?? no need for computers and stuff?

[mrbenn]

mk1 focus...do the brakes blled like normal with easy bleed etc ?? no need for computers and stuff?

 

Yep, bleed as normal.

 

Bear in mind the brakes and clutch share a reservoir so defo don't let it go below minimum as the clutch can apparently be a bit of an arse to bleed.

[sierraman]

mk1 focus...do the brakes blled like normal with easy bleed etc ?? no need for computers and stuff?

Yes, unless the ABS unit has run dry IIRC.

[castros_bro]

Where's the best place to get a refurbished or new Citroën ZX rear beam from?

 

Easy to get them this place will do you a complete one unless you want the kit to replace the worn bits yourself (25% chance of success). Changing the beam is relatively straight forward if the nuts/bolts don't bugger up, I changed one in a public car park in Camberley with only the occasional rude comments from a parking attendant.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REAR-BEAM-AXLE-CITROEN-XSARA-ZX-PEUGEOT-306-SHAFTS-BEARINGS-BRAND-NEW/291246299212?hash=item43cfa1d84c:g:lbMAAOxyni9TGGzV

 

 

And

 

http://abaxles.co.uk/en/about/

[sierraman]

There’s a silver (same as mine you know) Mondeo in the drive of a bungalow near my house, it’s sat there for at least 5 years, possibly more. Be really handy for spares for mine. Should I knock on the door?

 

Not quite sure how to position it though?

[M'coli]

Easy to get them this place will do you a complete one unless you want the kit to replace the worn bits yourself (25% chance of success). Changing the beam is relatively straight forward if the nuts/bolts don't bugger up, I changed one in a public car park in Camberley with only the occasional rude comments from a parking attendant.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REAR-BEAM-AXLE-CITROEN-XSARA-ZX-PEUGEOT-306-SHAFTS-BEARINGS-BRAND-NEW/291246299212?hash=item43cfa1d84c:g:lbMAAOxyni9TGGzV

 

 

And

 

http://abaxles.co.uk/en/about/

Knowing how far up its own arse Camberley can be, that's quite possibly the best bit of "get it up youse" spannering I've heard this year!

[warren t claim]

Do modern cars still have characteristics based on their country of origin? For example, do French cars still have soft seats and suspension?

[Guest Hooli]

French cars are still shit yes.

German cars are complicated and once they break cost a fortune to fix.

[Snipes]

Do modern cars still have characteristics based on their country of origin? For example, do French cars still have soft seats and suspension?

Hard to say when a Nissan is made up of old Renault bits by a factory in India.....

[castros_bro]

I'm looking to make up some large diameter pipes to replace those which run to and from an intercooler which is annoyingly hidden somewhere under the headlamp, behind the inner wing and behind the bumper.  I have some thin aluminium source material  but will need to cut parts and solder to make the pipework. 

 

 

Can anyone recommend an aluminium soldering product ?

 

 

This is my source material.

 

[steveo3002]

they demo these on coke cans

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Welding-Brazing-Soldering-Low-Temp-Durafix-Easyweld-UK-Rods-Brush/220865171345?var=520050315498&hash=item336c970f91:m:m9tRJRt5ezMHJFj1EVS-vCA

[davehedgehog31]

I'm looking at a car, it's showing as not taxed. 

 

The tax is showing as expired on the 27th of June, it's not SORN. Just wondering how tax would have been canceled during a month? I'd have thought if you canceled it you'd either need to declare the car SORN, or cancel it effective from the 1st of the following month?

 

Apologies if I've missed something glaringly obvious.

[Tickman]

I'm looking at a car, it's showing as not taxed. 

 

The tax is showing as expired on the 27th of June, it's not SORN. Just wondering how tax would have been canceled during a month? I'd have thought if you canceled it you'd either need to declare the car SORN, or cancel it effective from the 1st of the following month?

 

Apologies if I've missed something glaringly obvious.

Change of owner is one way to get a mid month expired date.

[davehedgehog31]

Change of owner is one way to get a mid month expired date.

Good thought, I don't think thats the case though. The check I ran shows current owner at circa 3 years.

 

Only thing that might make a difference is that the road tax is a flat £20 annual rate, can't be paid over six months but I'd still have thought that would run from 1st of the current month. 

[sierraman]

Help req folks, Astra H 1.7 diesel, dense grey smoke and it’s in limp home mode. Any pointers to what could be up with it?

[sierraman]

It’s also getting fucking hot apparently. Thinking could be the EGR blocked, it’s only used for knocking about round the houses. As we know diesels just love that.

[kirton]

Peugeot Boxer battery +ve battery terminal on my camper.

I have problems with this, apart from it being tucked right up against the bulkhead with a circuit board attached to the clamp; damn near impossible to see what you are doing in there. Someone posted that the circuit board has high capacity fusible links so I suppose I should get spares just in case;  the real issue is that I can't get the clamp to hold tight on the terminal; I keep on tightening up the 10mm nut which works for a while.  The clamp has slipped off about four times, fortunately only when parked - just needs to be pushed down to regain contact but this obviously isn't good. 

What is the solution that will get me a securely clamped terminal?  appropriate language is of no use as swmbo is usually there when the clamp slips and we have a total electrical failure.

[Richard]

Quick and dirty solution is to wrap a bit of Coke can around the post.

[kirton]

the curent fix is a piece of 2x2 wedged in;  I'm not proud of it

[twosmoke300]

If it’s getting hot then it’s most likely a split small coolant hose on a 1.7 Diesel astra

[sierraman]

By the time I’d got home, the garage had been out and pronounced it as ‘fucked’. A technical diagnosis wasn’t given other than ‘its fucked’. Apparently it had virtually no oil left in it. I’d probably take that to mean ‘It will cost you a few hours labour minimum to find the exact cause, but the top and bottom of it is that it’s basically had it’

[Sigmund Fraud]

Does anyone know of any decent parts suppliers for a Vauxhall Victor FC ?

[DodgeRover]

By the time I’d got home, the garage had been out and pronounced it as ‘fucked’. A technical diagnosis wasn’t given other than ‘its fucked’. Apparently it had virtually no oil left in it. I’d probably take that to mean ‘It will cost you a few hours labour minimum to find the exact cause, but the top and bottom of it is that it’s basically had it’

Has CavCraft been round yet?

[sierraman]

Not yet but the mechanic seems convinced it’s knackered. 9 year old Astra consigned to bean tins then it looks like.

[DodgeRover]

Got to be worth filling the oil and water up to see what it sounds like even if it's only to shift it on for a bit more money?

[sierraman]

It’s the in laws car, It’s at the garage now being scrutinised. Were it me, I’d do as you say, fill the oil back up and possibly clean out the EGR, and as two smoke says check the coolant pipes. If the engine is fucked then like you say I’d stick it on bumtree for spears or reapers. I think you’d still see a couple of hundred quid off some masochist who likes fitting engines in his spare time. The previous one shit it’s oil pump at 150k, that had too much oil in it. Fuck knows what went on there.

 

Wonder how it’s come to run so low on oil?

[twosmoke300]

Split coolant pipe , no low coolant warning or temp gauge on most models . Ive seen them get so hot the press fit piston oil cooling jets fall out and pistons / little ends let go!